The Screen Next to Your IDE
We built Monitor Flows partly because we wanted this for ourselves. A dedicated dashboard screen next to the code editor, always showing what matters. No alt-tabbing to check logs. No browser tab for GitHub notifications. No context switching to see if the server is still up.
Here's how we set it up, and why it changed how we work.
The Layout
IDE full-screen on your primary display. Dashboard screen on the secondary. Here's what goes on it:
| Widget | Position | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal | Top-left (4x2) | Run commands, watch logs in real time |
| GitHub | Top-right (4x2) | Contribution graph, notifications, repos |
| Server Status | Middle-left (2x2) | Uptime and latency for your endpoints |
| Tasks | Middle-right (4x2) | Sprint board, bug tracking |
| Pomodoro | Bottom-left (2x1) | Focus timer, 25-minute intervals |
| Clock | Bottom-left (1x1) | Time at a glance |
| Weather | Bottom-right (2x2) | Quick day planning |
Everything is drag-and-drop. Resize any widget to fit your grid. Pick a community skin and the whole dashboard adapts.
Why This Works
The real value isn't the individual widgets. It's that they're always there.
You're debugging a deploy and the terminal output is visible on the dashboard screen while you read the code on the primary. A GitHub notification comes in and you see it without switching windows. The server status widget turns red and you know before anyone pings you.
That's the difference between a screen that sits there and a screen that works. Every piece of information you'd normally alt-tab for is already visible.
Tips
- Launcher widget for quick links to your IDE, docs, and internal tools. One click instead of searching through bookmarks.
- Terminal in translucent mode blends into your dashboard skin. Looks intentional, not bolted on.
- Export your layout and share it with your team. Everyone gets the same dashboard screen configured in seconds.
The Point
This is the setup we use daily. It took minutes to put together, not a weekend of configuring .ini files. A dashboard screen that just runs, always showing what you need. That's the flow.